


The Scars we bare

by Taywahowse



Category: Longmire (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 09:54:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17180735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taywahowse/pseuds/Taywahowse
Summary: My take on Walt/Vic romance, first two chapters are a set before the show, the rest will somewhat follow along the series, but with plot divergence because this is a soulmate fic, your welcome.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a concept that has bugged me for sometime and these initial chapters have been worked and re worked over and over again. Unfortunetly I am unbeta-ed so there maybe some mistakes my eyes simply can't see any more, sorry. Will do my best to update steadily, if there is any interest in this fic, if not well we'll see I suppose.

WALT:  
When Walter Longmire woke up on his 16th birthday to find that his left wrist was the same as it was the night before, he was relieved, ecstatic even.  
His heart beating wildly in his chest he threw the blankets off of his body and scrambled out of bed. Throwing on a pair of old cut off Jean shorts, a discarded teeshirt off the floor and shoving his feet in to his scuffed trainers he flew down the hallway.  
"Hi Mom, Hey Dad, I gotta go" he hollered crashing out through the front door, down the steps on to the dusty dirt track leading away from the family home.  
He made the 12 minute run from his house to Martha's in 10 and a half.  
By the time he arrived his shaggy sand colored hair was plastered to his forehead, and his grey teeshirt was soaked through with sweat.  
Martha a slender, freckled, redhead girl was eating breakfast on the front porch, waiting for his arrival it seemed.  
"Morning Miss Martha" Walt said jogging to a stop in front off her, only slightly out of breath, a wild grin adorning his face and holding his arms behind his back.  
"Good morning Walt" Martha softly smiled back.  
"Well?  
"Well what?" Martha giggled.  
"Aren'tcha gonna ask me?" He raised his eyebrows still grinning like a madman.  
"And what exactly would I have to ask a sweaty young man panting on my doorstep at eight o'clock on a saturday morning?" She teased placing her bowl of oatmeal down and standing up, arms crossed over her chest, trying and failing to look stern.  
Walt laughed, rolling his eyes and moved his arms out from behind his back wrists up for her to see.  
"I didnt get one!" He was practically shaking from excitement.  
"Martha, I didnt get a soul mark!, I'm free to be with who ever I want, and I choose you, I always choose you" he proclaimed.  
Martha who's 16th birthday had come and gone a month ago, with no name appearing on her wrist, broke down with tears.  
"Hope your not that fussed with sweat, cos I'm about to hug ya" Walt warned, pulling the red headed girl in to his arms tightly.  
Later that night, long after he had finally gone home Walter noticed, whilst bathing a new scar on his thigh. A scar that he had no recollection of have been inflicted on him.  
It wasn't until he was 25 and saw his first gunshot victim as a sheriff deputy, that he realized the scar on his thigh uncannily resembled a bullet wound.  
Walt and Martha dated throughout the remained of their high school years, got married, got jobs, brought a house, had a Baby girl with flaming red hair and Walter's eyes.  
They were happy.  
The soul mark didnt appear on Walter's wrist until many years later. Cady was a year away from her own 16th birthday when Walter came home from work complaining of an arm that had been itching like mad all day.  
"Oh Walt, you could have been bitten by something" Martha admonished, setting her book aside and rising from their bed.  
"Take your shirt of so I can have a look" she ordered.  
"Yes madam" Walt grinned cheekily unbuttoning his shirt from the bottom up and discarding it on the floor.  
Walt watched the humor die from Martha's face as her eyes widened and a hand flew up to cover her mouth.  
"Martha? What's wrong…" the words died on his lips as he looked down and saw the letters etched in to the skin of his wrist.  
The name 'Victoria' in sharp sloped letters invaded his eyes just as the invaded his skin.  
"Oh no, Martha no!" Walt gasped clutching the offending wrist to his body hiding the mark from view.  
Martha had sunk down to the floor of there bedroom, and was sobbing in a wrecked and wretched way.  
"I…. I'm gonna fix this" the words tumbled from his mouth, "I swear I'm gonna make it go away" his whole body trembled as he stumbled from the room.  
"Dad?" Cady appeared in the doorway of her room, "why is Mom crying? What's going on?"  
"Stay in your room Cady" Walt ordered marching past her.  
Pulling the knife from his holster he threw open the fireplace door, and trusted the blade of the knife in to the flames.  
Cady, ignoring her father's order ran in to her parents bedroom.  
"Mom? Whats going on? MOM! get up, some things wrong with dad" she cried grabbing her mother's shoulders and shaking her.  
Walt's scream of pain sent them running in to the living room, to witness, Walter on his knees tears streaming down his pained face as he held the red hot blade to the skin of his wrist.  
"DAD!"  
"WALTER NO!" both woman yelled hurrying forward, Cady wrenched the knife from her father's hand and threw it across the room, even as Martha pried his burnt, abused flesh away.  
"It's still there" he groaned, "oh Martha I'm so sorry" he sobbed.  
Martha grasped his face in her shaky hands, she was crying as well.  
"Walter, it's okay, it's alright" she soothed.  
"You didnt choose this, and it doesnt matter, you love me and I love you, and you're stubborn enough that no Mark's going to change that, and I ain't going anywhere" she soothed, as Walt clung to her desperately.

VIC:  
Victoria Moretti woke 5 minutes before her alarm was due to go off, which wasnt that rare of an occurance seeing as she had to share a house with a pack off wild teenage boys stampeding through the halls at all hours of the day and night.  
"GIVE IT A REST YOU FILTHY ANIMALS!" She yelled rolling on to her stomach and clamping her pillow down over her head.  
All she wanted was her allotted amount of sleep was that to much to ask?  
Weren't they meant to be nice today of all days it was her birthday for fucks sake.  
"Jesus christ it's my fucking birthday!" She suddenly clicked.  
She scrambled up, eyes still clamped shut.  
This was it, the moment every kid grows up fantasizing about. Was she going to be one of the bonded, her soulmates name proudly embroidered in to her skin for all too see? Or would she be one of the others bondless but free to date anyone they wanted who wasnt marked with no awkward questions, now frowning stares or judgements.  
With a deep steadying breath, she opened her eyes up.  
"You have got to be shitting me!"  
'Walter' was sprawled across her left wrist.  
"Who the hell names somebody Walter?!".  
….  
Reluctantly Vic made her way downstairs, hungry for breakfast.  
"Jeez Vic what happened to your arm" Victor gasped dropping the toast in his hand.  
"Haha very funny, that's real mature Vic" she grumbled flopping in to the seat at the kitchen table opposite him.  
"No I'm being serious, your arms been slashed" he poked her shoulder where a fresh scar disrupted the otherwise smooth skin of her left arm.  
"Huh, I dont know?" Vic frowned, pushing his arm away, she traced the scar with her own fingers.  
"How can you have a scar as ugly as that and not know where it came from?"  
"That's a sign of a strong bond right there" her father announced entering the room.  
Both kids looked up at their dad confused, to see him smiling fondly down at Victoria.  
"Most people, when the bond reveals itself, it's just a name, a name that brings you a certainty that someone out there was made for you, mind body and soul. But just a name, hardly any good if it spells out something common like John, or Tom" he chuckled.  
"But that right there" his smile widened as he touched the scar on her arm. "That means something special. That's a sign of true devotion, loyalty,…. Love", Vic's face lit up at her fathers words, maybe the scar wasnt so ugly after all.  
"So, …. Who's the lucky guy Vic?" Her dad grinned.  
"His name's Walter" Vic announced shyly, blushing.  
"That's a stupid name" Victor sniggered, only to get rapt round his ears by his dad.  
"Ouch, okay, sorry" he grumbled.  
"Dont make fun of his name again" Vic warned suddenly finding herself very protective of the name imbedded in her skin. This boy that was her soulmate, perfect for her in every way, no body was going to insult him and get away with it, she decided determinedly.


	2. Sixteen years later.

A knock sounded on Walt's office door, rousing him from his stupor.  
"Walter?" Ruby's voice inquired.  
"Yeah, what is it Ruby?"  
"The deputy applicant has arrived"  
With a sigh, Walt pushed back in his chair and stood up, roper boots sounding against the wooden floor.  
On the other side of the door Vic was panicking. Walter? the sheriffs name was fucking Walter?.  
This couldn't be happening not now, this wasnt…..  
Vic took a deep breath and forced herself to relax.  
It was fine, Walter wasnt that an uncommon of a name, it was just a coincidence, everything was fine.  
Vic's internal monologue was cut short as Walter emerged from behind his office door.  
He seemed to faulter, taking a step back.  
He was tall, solidly built and masculine, with tired eyes, and sandy brown hair. He wore worn cowboy boots, blue wranglers, with a bear paw belt buckle, faded denim western shirt with the sleeves rolled up exposing a pair of strong weathered arms, a leather cuff adorned his left wrist. 3 days worth of scruff feathered his tanned face, lined with years of responsibility and stress. His Baby blue eyes seemed to inspect her right back.  
"Ahem" Ruby cleared her throat, cutting through the palpable tension like a hot knife through butter.  
"Oh, um…. You must be Vic, Vic as in Victoria", Walter cleared his throat and held his hand out.  
"Just vic please, I guess you were expecting a Victor?" Vic smiled a thousand watt smile, stepping forward to shake his warm rough hand firmly.  
"Ah, no, um, I ah dont really know what I was expecting" Walts cheeks reddened and he rubbed his free hand at the back of his neck sheepishly.  
"Right, well, I'll leave you in the Sheriffs capable hands then" Ruby excused her self with one last prompting look at Walt.  
Looking down they both realized they were still holding hands at the same time, and hastily pulled their respective hands away.  
"Sorry, Er, well come on in then"  
Walt stepped aside and motioned Vic through. "I'm Walt by the way" he added remembering his manners.  
He stepped around the blonde woman and held a chair out for her. Before talking his seat back behind his desk.  
Walt took a moment to compose himself and flipping through her application idly, an excuse to sort through the unquietness in his head.  
Curiously Vic looked around his office, soaking up all the information she could pertain, trying not to feel anxious by the silence in the room.  
Walt had a beautiful antique oak desk, cluttered with files, a name plaque, pens, and a brown cowboy hat. The shelves behind him were crammed full of books of all variations, leather bond Dickens, worn dog ear paperback mysteries, historical texts and informative works of arts about many types of things, guns, animals, crime scene analysis and on and on it went.  
Vic turned her attention back to the man seated before her. It seemed he was running on empty. Dark rings hung heavily below his eyes, and his posture reeked of deep boned exhaustion.  
Vic had garnered abit about him off the other deputies when she had initially come in to the Sherriff station to fill out an application, she knew that he had recently lost his wife, and that the lost had hit him hard. Very hard by the looks of it.  
Walt let out a soft huff of air and deposited her application form back on to his desk.  
"Impressive" he nodded and pointed down to her handwriting.  
"Thanks" Vic felt her self light up with the second smile in a matter of minutes.  
"I've gotta ask ya Vic, with a C.V. like this, why the hell would ya wanna work for my department?" He asked self deprecating.  
Vic took a second to straighten her posture in her chair and fold one long leg over the other. "My Husband Sean got a promotion at work, he works for the Newton oil company, and they relocated us out here" Vic explained.  
Walt glanced down and noticed the wedding band on her finger.  
"Oh" he said, for a lack of anything else to say.  
"Yeah, so good bye Philly, hello Wyoming" She joked, but Walt though she looked sad, maybe even slightly bitter.  
"I cant offer you the wage you must have been on in philly" Walt said leaning back in his chair, "I dont have the funding for that".  
"I expected as much, and it's okay, it's better than nothing, to tell you the truth I've been going rather stir crazy at home, I need to get back in the swing of things".  
"Fair enough, but the Job ain't flashy either, not to many homicides, mainly just disputes between civilians and petty crime" he warned.  
"I'll live, I'm sure" Vic assured goodnaturedly.  
Walt started at her for a moment as if inspecting her sincerity.  
"Well, ah, you want the job?" He shrugged.  
"Sure, why not" Vic agreed grinning.  
"Okay" he smiled back, he looked younger with a smile on his face, the lines, and sadness dropping away.  
"Um, what's your schedule like for the rest of the day?"  
"No plans, Sean's away at a conference, so I'm pretty free" Vic shrugged.  
"Okay, well if your up for it, I can give you a tour of the town, give you some background and the like on the people and land?" He offered standing up and placing the cowboy hat upon his head.  
"Sounds great" she nodded.

Walt took Vic on a tiki tour though the main streets of town, should her where the bank, hotel, club and other hot spots where. Explained that the busy bee was the departments local haunt for food. And then took her out more rural.  
Helping to give her a feel of the land, showed her were the Cheyenne boarders were and the tense history between the two duristrictions.  
"You'll ride with me for the first few months, till ya get your absoroka sea legs, then I'll let ya lost" Walt informed her, earning him a sly grin in response.  
"Well I guess I better get comfortable then" Vic laughed stretching out in the bronco passenger seat.  
Walt chuckled at her sass, a sound that hadn't escape Walt's lips in some time.  
The radio suddenly cracked to life between them.  
"Walter? Come in Walter" Ruby's staticy voice called through.  
"What's up Ruby" Walt answered, keeping his eyes diligently on the road.  
"Just letting you know its 6 o'clock, we're locking up for the night, and Ferg's on call"  
"Shit" Walt muttered to himself.  
"Okay Ruby, see you in the morning" he said before hanging the CB back up.  
"Sorry I didnt realize how late it was" Walt sighed.  
"Its okay, though I'm pretty hungry, is the busy bee open this late?" Vic asked patting her stomach.  
"Ah no, but I know some where else, my treat to celebrate your instatement, and for keeping you so long" Walt offered with a sheepish expression.  
"Okay then" Vic grinned.

It was dark by the time the pair arrived at the red pony, its neon sign a welcoming sight.  
"Walt, it is good to see you" Henry called stepping out from behind the bar.  
"Hello Henry" Walt replied removing the hat from his head, to reveal boyish hat hair.  
He saw Henry look behind him curiously.  
"Ah Vic this is Henry Standing Bear, he's an old friend of mine and the proud owner of the Red Pony. Henry this is Vic, she's my new deputy" Walt introduced gesturing to each of them with his hat.  
"Hi, Victoria Moretti" Vic sensing Walt's awkwardness, stepped around him and shook the native American's hand.  
"Victoria?" He shot a pointed look at Walt, which earned him a 'Dont go there' glare in response. "Well it is a pleasure to meet you Victoria" Henry grinned.  
Walt was already regretting his decision to bring Vic to this particular establishment.  
"Just call me Vic" she smiled back at him, taking in the establishment around her.  
"Nice place you got" she approved.  
"Ah, a woman of fine taste" Henry still grinning winked and moved back behind the bar.  
"So, what'll it be?"  
Vic looked at Walt for guidance, "perhaps you should take the lead on this one Sheriff" she suggested, with a shrug.  
"Ah" Walt tore his gaze away and tried to not panic at the sudden responsibility of ordering for somebody else.  
"Gimme two of those steaks of yours, and um a couple Rainier" Walt ordered before remembered his manners, "ah, do you drink beer?" He turned back to Vic unsurely.  
Vic smirked, "I'm from Philly, of course I drink beer" she rolled her eyes, "I'll go find us a table" she excused herself, shaking her head goodnaturedly.  
"Victoria, Walt?!" Henry hissed leaning over the bar.  
"Yep" Walt sighed, placing his hands on the bar, but shooting glances back behind him, keeping an eye on the blonde as she moved about the room.  
"This is a rather big development Walt" Henry said seriously, drawing Walt's attention back to him.  
"Henry" Walt warned sharply, both men keeping the voices low so as to not travel.  
"It's nothing, just one of those freak coincidences" Walt shook his head. "Besides she's married, and I ain't looking" He added looking down at the bar and not at his friend who saw to damn much for his own good.  
"Wasn't it Murphy who said the simplest explanation is most often correct?" Henry pried, slapping Walt's hand away that had started picking at a piece of the bar top that was delaminating.  
Walt just shrugged noncomittally.  
"You've got to get back on the horse sometime, my friend, what you've been doing" Henry paused to shake his head sadly, "well it is not living Walter".  
"I know" Walt replied softly, looking up at his friend with a pained expression.  
Henry clapped Walt on the shoulder in a sign of solidarity, "you had better get a move on, she is waiting for you Walt" he said with a pointed look over to where Vic had taken a seat, but both men knew that's not what he meant.


	3. The Sherriff and his Deputy

Walt had slipped.  
He had made quite the inital turn around when Deputy Moretti first started.  
He showed up most mornings on time, and managed somewhat to get back in the stride of things. Probably due to the easy companionship he had found with Vic.  
They worked good together, they really were an effective team.  
Vic challenged him, mentally sometimes emotionally and pushed him, when need be to get him to stop questioning himself and start acting.  
She was also a quick study of his moods, and the hidden agendas behind his expressions. Which meant that even though Walt wasn't much of a talker, the silent spells between them didnt feel awkward or tense at all.  
Deputy Moretti had proved herself as a competent deputy from day one, with the added benefit of exceptional ballistic knowledge, she was very handy to have around.  
To be honest Walt had kept Vic at his side, and in the passenger seat of his bronco for about a month to long before he finally organized a unit of her own, and set her loose.  
After that he started to let things slide again. It just wasn't the same, too quiet, too empty.  
Then with the one year anniversary of Martha's passing fast approaching, Walt had fallen hard and fast back in to his old ways.  
Showing up late for work, or turning up but being an utter write off due to his complete inability to achieve anything productive.  
Lack of focus or lack of sticking power, felt like a good way to sum up who Walt had become now, he mused as the shower spray ran down and off of his back, some beads hitting the exposed beams that his bathroom was made up of.  
That was another thing Walt was failing at. The cabin that he and Martha had started to build had remained in the same state of disarray as when Martha first died.  
It wasnt a home, it was an empty shell, barely any walls, hardly any personal touches and a tarp privided the only privacy in the bathroom.  
'You've reached the Longmire residence. Sorry we're not here to take your call. Please leave a message, we'll be happy to call you back", the ghost of Martha's voice echoed through the cabin.  
Walt's heart pinged painfully in his chest.  
"Walt?" Vic voice called. "Hey, it's Vic. Pick up, pick up, pick up" she sang.  
"Its the Barnes Walt, they want someone to come out to Pronghorn ridge. It's my day off Walt and I really don't wanna go. Walt?…… God damn it" Vic grumbled disconnecting.  
Walt felt the corners of his mouth threatening to turn up, she was so damn feisty.  
With a soft exhale of breath, he turned to water off and grabbed his towel from its makeshift wrung on one of the upper beams.  
Toweled off and dressed Walt made his way to the kitchen, he needed caffeine and he needed it now.  
His fingers brushed against the tea box, and he pulled it carefully down to examine it for a moment.  
'You've reached the Longmire residence……..'  
Coffee right, Walt snapped back to attention and set about making a brew.  
"Walt, its Vic. Again. So I am now on my way to Pronghorn ridge, on my day off. I really dont wanna deal with these wingnuts on my own, so I expect you to get your arse out here and help me!. Please." Vic was obviously annoyed.  
Pouring the coffee in to his thermos Walt stepped outside.  
He put the coffee on the cabin deck rail and swung his sheepskin jacket on.  
Martha's voice sounded again.  
"Walt. It's Vic. We got a body".

 

Vic was freezing her tits off.  
Which really wasn't fair, considering it was her one day off and here she was stuck out in the middle of bumfucking nowhere upto her shins in snow waiting on mister lackluster himself to drag his sorry arse out here.  
I mean God damn the man had lost his wife, but enough already, he needed to get out of the rut his was in, maybe find somebody to rut, anyone really, Vic pretend not to care. Just so long as he got his A back in to G.  
If only she could figure out who's name was under the bond cuff Walt religiously wore, be it hers, hopefully hers, or even someone else.  
There was something between them, Vic was pretty sure of that at least.  
Some times he would give her this look, usually when it was just the two of them. At the end of an all night stake out, spent bundled up in Walt's truck, sharing a comfortable silence, waiting for a perp. Or late at night in the office, when they were the last two living beings in the building, on his way out the door. Sometimes the look was given to her even in the company of others, most memorably the first time she stuck up for herself against Branch, called him out on his misogynistic bullshit. Walt would get this look in his eyes, like a fire slowly building its intensity, and when it was directed at Vic, her knees would feel abruptly like jelly, and butterfly's would begin to flutter in her chest.  
Vic wasn't fooled by the whole 'oh shucks' cowboy routine either, she new there was more to him, a carefully guarded well of wants and needs, self denied for too damm long.  
Vic was roused from her musings by a welcome sound.  
Finally in the distance, approaching steadily the old reliable truck, Walt seemed to have a personal attachment too.  
"Sorry to keep you waiting Vic" Walt's gravelly voice greeted as he climbed out of the bronco the chilly breeze catching his fringe and pushing it back from his forehead.  
She side eyed him "no you aint" she huffed planting her hands on her hips, sternly. She sniffled the air and caught the gentle warm scent of Walt, pine, fresh rain, aged leather and something uniquely Walt. It improved her mood somewhat.  
"So where are the barnes?" He glanced around, but came up empty.  
"I got sick of being hit on so I sent them away" Vic grumbled, passing her binoculars and pointedly ignoring Walt's amused smirk.  
"Body's bout 200 yards out" she pointed in the general direction.  
Walt squinted against the snow glare and tracked the binoculars over the area. After a couple of seconds he locked in on their target lying on its side in the snow.  
"That's a sheep" Walt frowned dropping the binoculars down away from his face, to see Vic looking at him smugly.  
"I said we had a body, I didnt not specify a species".  
It occurred to Walt that Vic may have been spending to much time around a certain Indian, she was picking up his mannerisms, and dirty tricks by the look of it.  
"Well, now that you're here, and everything's under control, I think I'll go enjoy my day off" she said, dusting her hands off.  
Oh no Moretti, you ain't getting out of this one, Walt decided.  
"What? And miss all the fun?" He grinned and ran his tongue along the top row of his teeth. "Come on" he coaxed, walking off, knowing she would follow.  
A frustrated growl sounded behind him, but he heard her boots trudging through the snow hot on his tails, so he considered it a win.

After ascertaining that the Barne men were still a duo of idiots, harmless, but idiots none the less, walt began leading his deputy up the mountain.  
"This sucks" Vic huffed as she struggled through the snow at Walt's side. If it was any other woman, Walt would have offered a chivalrous hand, not with Vic, that was sure to be a quick fire way to really get him in the dog house.  
"Look, I know I've only been here six months, but I'm not exactly a rookie."  
" You've made that clear." Walt slowed his gait just slightly, Vic was fit, but she still wasnt used to Absoroka's mountainous terrain.  
"Just about every day for six months." He added unhelpfully.  
"I'm just saying, I was working homicide in Philadelphia for five years. And a dead sheep is a waste of my talent And my time." Vic was really starting to sound out of breath.  
" Last thing I want to do is waste your valuable time" Walt smirked.  
"I want a raise.", if Walt could afford it, he would give her one in a heartbeat, but he and the town officials were never really on the best of terms.  
"Seriously, though, Walt, what kind of messed-up person shoots a sheep?" Vic grabbed his arm, halting them both.  
"I mean, I know they're not as cute and fluffy as they're made out to be and all, but they're nice enough." Vic was rambling, she had a tendency to do that when she was over caffeinated, Walt wondered how many she had consumed this morning, even as his eyes tracked the path of a flock of birds over head.  
" Walt? What you doing?"  
"Thinking. I do that sometimes before I talk." He could visualize Vic's eyeroll well enough with out having to look at her.  
"You know what they call a flock of ravens?"  
" Um, no."  
" An 'unkindness' -- an unkindness of ravens." Something was definitly wrong, Walt hurried on, trusting Vic to follow.  
"Seriously?What the hell is wrong with "flock"? She huffed hurrying to catch up.  
"Unkindness" is just a little more apropos." About 50 yards ahead of them lay a corpse half covered in snow.  
"Oh, shit" Vic remarked.  
Oh shit indeed Walt silently agreed.  
All previous banter abandoned the duo quickly set to work. They rolled the body and confirmed a single gunshot through the back and out the chest.  
Walt was the first to spy the victims gun, confidently checking it over, he made a call.  
"Victim didnt shoot back".  
"You're so full of shit" Vic dismissed, Walt didnt bother wondering why she was the only one allowed to get away with comments like that.  
"Smell oil, the guns clean, smell gunpowder, the guns been shot. I smell oil" he explain.  
Passing Vic the gun, Walt crouched down, a deep frown on his face.  
"What's wrong Walt?"  
"When you've been doing this as long as I have, you get to know just about every face in Absoroka county" Walt sighed tilting his head, as if a different angle would make the corpse's secrets come to light.  
"So who is he?" Vic asked moving to stand besides Walt.  
"That's the thing" Walt said with a shake of his head.  
"I dont know."

Eventually the team managed to positively identify the deseased male as one Grant Parkford.  
Walt was on his way back from informing Mrs Parkford of her husband's death, when he saw Branch Connally's campaign sign.  
That son of a bitch Walt though his attention diverted from the road, as the bronco drifted over in to the wrong lane. The urgent blaring from a truck horn, brought Walt back to attention.  
Hit the truck head on or swerve, Walt yanked the steering wheel, forcing the bronco off the road, and the he was flipping in the air.  
He didnt really think of any one, or anything as he crashed, didnt have time.  
The bronco final groaned to a halt, leaving Walt upside down, pinned by his seatbelt.  
His ears where ringing, and the blood was pounding in his skull.  
Assess the situation Walt. He ordered himself. Glass was embedded in his hand but other than that he seemed to be okay.  
Got to get out, his internal voice supplied prompting him to act.  
With a groan he reached out and managed to grasp the pocket knife that was now lying out the window of the truck.  
One, two, three, Walt sliced the belt and fell dead weight to the ground.  
If Walt needed a wake up call to start paying attention, he well and truely felt he had received it, loud and clear.

It wasn't until he called Vic thst he realized how relieved he was to hear her voice.  
"Walt? You finally broke down and brought a cellphone?"  
"Borrowed one, the uh radio's on the fritz" he lied because he wasnt ready to be berated for his little mishap.  
"Right well, I found a slug, never seen one like it before" Vic informed.  
"I'll come by in the morning then, pick up the slug, see if Omar knows anything. Hey Vic?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Did you know Branch was campaigning for Sheriff?"  
"Your shitting me," came Vic's baffled response. The woman had a filthy mouth, probably a by-product of her time in the boys club that was the Philadelphia police department.  
"Nope" Walt answered scuffing his boot against the dusty ground idly.  
"Huh, what are you going to do Walt?"  
"I'm hanging up now Vic". 

Omar provided himself useful for once, probably due to the fact that Walt didnt have Vic with him, nothing for Omar to flirt with. Guns where the next best thing.  
A trip to the durant gun supply shop, gave Walt a list of names and a direction to head in. It was time to pick up his most trusted deputy and head on out.

"What the hell happened to your truck?" Vic gestured wildly. "And your hand you hurt your hand!" Vic gasped, jumping in to the passenger side of the now rather beaten up bronco.  
"You're right. You should consider a career in law inforcement" he snarked putting the truck in gear, and pulling out of the lot.  
Vic just clicked her tongue and gave him a very unimpressed glower.  
"Omar reckons the gun's antique, a Sharps rifle. They call em horse killers, can take one down from 500 yards. Real slow reload time though, 5 seconds or so" Walt shared his info as he drove them out to the res. Vic had her window down and the breeze was carrying her sweet scent across to Walt, it was making him feel a little fuzzy inside.  
"So why we heading for the rez?"  
"Tommy Proud Eagle, Charles Burnett, and Jefferson Stone all brought Sharps rifles from the gun shop within the last year" Walt shrugged, "seemed like a good place to start".  
"Hmm" Vic nodded. The duo lapsed in to a comfortable silence for a while.  
"Find some pants bout 75 yards out from the murder site" Vic casually said as if that would mean something to Walt.  
"Uh, wasnt our guy wearing pants?" Walt frown, trying to visualize the body in his head.  
"Exactly" Vic nodded.  
"Thing is they're wranglers though, pretty common Jean's out here in wannabe cowboy land, and a common size too. Only the belt buckle stands out" she passed the offending article over to Walt, their fingers accidentally touching, both quickly pull their hands away.  
"You recognize it?" She asked, clearing her throat.  
"Maybe, not sure" he sighed setting the belt buckle down as he pulled the truck to a stop.  
Up ahead the Cheyenne police department had formed a road block.  
Lucky, lucky me, Walt thought to himself as he climbed out and walked in to no man's land.  
"What did I tell you!" Mathias snarled charging forward and landing a solid punch to Walt's face.  
Vic was out of the truck and storming past in to the fray, before the pain even registered.  
"What the hell!?" She demanded, as she swung her arms out wildly ready to take on the collective Cheyenne police department on Walt's behalf.  
Though secretly thrilled Walt knew he had to intervene.  
"Vic! Stop!" He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, lifted her up off her feet and swung her around behind him shielding her from harm as one of the Cheyenne's shoved Walt forward, forcing him and Vic up against the front of his truck.  
"That's enough Vic" he said softly, soothing both her and himself. The full length of his body pressed up against the back of Vic's.  
It seemed that his hands had deputized themself, as one had moved over to the belt buckle at the waist of her Jean's, and the other skimmed across her ribs.  
"Its okay Vic" Walt all but breathed in to her hair, lingering perhaps a moment to long, before gently extracting himself from their compromised position.  
There would be time for Walt to analyse this what ever this was later.  
He had business to attend to.

The heat of Vic's glared had been burning the side of Walt's face for a few minutes now, so he decided he better let her say her peace.  
"So, admittedly that could have gone better" he sighed glancing over at his deputy, who was turned in her seat to face him full on, arms crossed over her chest.  
"Ya think?!"  
"Well Mathias did say he was gonna knock me out the next time he saw me, so it could've be worse" Walt shrugged. Half expecting the harsh sting of Vic's hand as she slapped his arm.  
"God damn it Walt. You should've let me at em" she growled.  
"And have to explain why every member of the Cheyenne police department got sent emergency department in mass?" Walt cocked an eyebrow.  
"We coulda taken em" Vic grumbled.  
"Yeah, yeah" Walt waved off.  
"No, seriously Walt, you and me, we could take on the world" Vic grinned stretching her arms out wide.  
"You and I" Walt corrected with a smirk.

Vic didnt see much of Walt after ride back to the station, other than ordering a lineup of ranchers to drop their pants. Shame Walt hadn't joined in, Vic mused.  
Then again it probably would have been hard to act the man in charge, with his Jean's bunched around his ankles.  
As if some how aware that Vic was thinking off Walt, the soul mark on her wrist started to inch. One of the many downsides of having to wear a leather cuff all the time.  
Vic cast a quick glance at the Sherriff's closed office door.  
He was probably still finishing up the last of the case paperwork, having solved the case earlier in the afternoon.  
One minute couldn't hurt. Vic decided quickly releasing the clasps and letting the cuff fall free of her wrist.  
Walt's name still embroided on her skin as clear as the day it first appeared.  
The itch was gone as soon as the cuff dropped off and Vic lost herself tracing the letters, with an age old reverence.  
Footsteps sounded on the stairs leading up to the office.  
"Shit" Vic scrambled trying in vain to get the cuff back on, it wasnt easy to do the clasps with one hand, and under pressure it was even worse.  
The door creaked open and Vic quickly shoved her arm under her desk.  
"Hello Victoria" Henry grinned from around the pile of boxes laidening his arms, "is Walter in?".  
"Um yeah, he's…" she went to point, but caught herself.  
"Hey Vic, I was ah…." Walt walked in to the room, a bottle of whiskey and two glasses in his hand, but faltered at the sight of Henry.  
"Hiya Henry, whatcha got there?" Walt quirked an eyebrow.  
Henry just grinned looking from the bottle back to Walt, and set the boxes on the office floor.  
He reached in and pulled out a tricolor red,white,and blue sign.  
"I hope I'm not interrupting, I just thought I'd come by and drop off the campaign supplies".  
"That was fast, I only told you this morning" Walt said looking surprised.  
"Actually I've had these prepared for sometime" Henry admitted walking over to Walt, he discreetly slid Vic's cuff off of her desk in to her lap, on his way past.  
"I'll pour these, whilst you grab another glass, we need to discuss strategies" Henry shooed Walt from the room, concentrated very hard on pour their drinks so that Vic could get her cuff sorted.  
"Thanks Henry" Vic whispered giving the Indian a soft kiss on the cheek before accepting her drink from him.  
The three settled in and quickly lost track of time.

A few hours later a certain deputies very pissed off husband walked in to the office.  
"Sean?!" Vic gasped setting her drink down.  
"Sean!" A very drunk Walt and Henry chorused, raising their own glasses, in greeting.  
"What the hell Vic?" Sean demanded gesturing around madly.  
"Sorry,I forgot you were home tonight" Vic replied sheepishly getting to her feet.  
"So what is this a regular thing? I'm off working and your up here drinking with your boss?" Sean accused.  
"Well that's uncalled for" Henry frowned.  
"What? No! Of course not" the words tumbled out of Vic's mouth, Walt thought she looked panicked so decided he better intervene.  
"Actually we're having an impromptu celebration" Walt said standing up he refilled everyone's drinks and grabbed a clean mug from near the coffee machine.  
He poured measure and held it out to Sean, hoping to diffuse the younger man's anger.  
Looking confused he took the drink from Walt.  
"Walt's running against Branch for Sherriff" Vic explained pointing to one of the signs.  
"We were just prepping some of the signs, I lost track of time, I'm sorry Sean".  
Sean looked around at everyone, and they all started back.  
"Right, well, your obviously not in a state to drive, so finish your drink, I'll be waiting in the truck" Sean set his mug down on Vic's desk, and walked out.  
The room was silent.  
"Shit, I'm sorry Vic" Walt sighed shaking his head remorsely.  
"It's okay Walt, it's not your fault I married an asshole" the last part was said under her breath, but Walt heard it anyway.  
She sculled her drink and Sean's and got to her feet.  
"Welp, Night Walt, night Henry" she through over her shoulder.  
"Goodnight Victoria" Henry replied, as his childhood friend strode passed him.  
Walt caught Vic just outside the main office, at the top of the stairs.  
"Hey Vic" he caught her hand and held her back.  
"Are you going to be alright?" He asked concerned.  
Vic smiled staunchly.  
"Yeah, I'll be okay, it'll blow over" she sighed.  
Then threw her arms around him, tucking her head under his chin.  
"Thanks for tonight, it was nice to let my hair down for once, I dont think I've ever seen you laugh so much".  
"Side effect of the whiskey I spos" he said softly, and gently rubbed her back.  
Vic stepped back with a deep inhale.  
"Right, well I'm off" she declared and started off down the stairs.  
"Goodnight walt" she called from the bottom of the stairs.  
"Night Vic" he replied softly.


	4. Morning wake up call

He didnt remember how he ended up here, or even why, it wasnt exactly a place that Walt would ever set foot in by choice.   
Places like this just made Walt uncomfortable.  
"Walt! Over here".  
Walt whipped his head around and found the source of the voice leaning against the bar counter.  
"Henry?" Walt asked perplexed claiming a spot at the bar by his friend's side.  
Henry just smiled and clapped Walt on his back.  
"Henry why are we here?"  
Henry laughed as if Walt's question was the funniest thing he had ever heard.  
"You are the one that insisted we come here" Henry grinned and motioned with a raised finger to the bar tender.  
"Hi Henry, Hey Dad" Cady smiled, wiping water from the inside of a beer glass.  
"Cady?, what the hell?" Walt demanded bewildered.  
"I work here Dad" she rolled her eyes and set two Rainer cans down in front of them.  
She walked away to serve another customer before Walt could ask any more questions.  
Walt turned to inquire exactly what the fuck was going on from Henry, but the man's gaze was firmly fixed on the stage.  
"Vic looks great tonight" the Indian commented appreciatively.  
Walt's stomach lurched, eyes frantically scanning the crowd. Victoria Moretti was up on stage, deputy uniform shirt hanging loose at her sides red lacy bra on display for all to see. She made eye contact with Walt and gave him the predatory grin.  
"So are you finally going to ask for a dance tonight Walt, or are you just going to sulk, and keep watch whilst one of the other punters, pay for her time?"  
Walt was speechless, what was he meant to say to that.  
"Maybe I'll pay for a dance" Henry mused and Walt was almost overcome by the sudden erge to slam his best friend's head down on to the countertop, repeatedly.  
Instead Walt sculled his beer and ordered a whiskey.  
"Time to make up your mind Walt, either man up and get back on the horse, or sit here and let that man child Sean occupy her time" nodding his head in the direction of the man. Sitting in a darkened corner, a fat wod of cash clenched in his hand.   
"Oh looks like she got tired of waiting" he amended, as Vic stepped down from the stage and started sashaying   
Her way across the room.  
"Drink up old boy" Henry said, slide Walt's whiskey over.  
Nervously Walt downed the drink in one.  
Ahen he set the glass down Henry was gone.   
In fact Walt and Vic where the only ones left in the club.  
She grinned a toothy smile and come to a stop right in front of him.  
"Hey there Cowboy" Vic greeted in a husky tone Walt had never heard before. She pulled Walt's hat from his head and placed it carefully on her own.  
Walt's heart was racing out of control, and his blood seemed to pool below his belt buckle almost instantly.  
"Seems the sheriff is happy to see me" Vic, quirked an eyebrow and caged Walt against the bar with her arms.  
"So the other week, when you wouldn't let me come back with you to the club, was that a jealousy thing, or a territorial thing?" She demanded, sliding on of her long toned legs between Walt's.  
"What? No, Vic, I…." Walt found himself stuttering as Vic raked her nails across his hand, tugging on Walts leather cuff .  
"Vic", Walt protested weakly.  
"What are you so afraid off" Vic asked curiously, even as her hand reached down and groped Walt through his Jean's.  
"This isn't right, s'not you, s'not meant to be like this" walt shook his head eyes screwed shut and hands gripping the bar top in a death grip.  
"Hey, it's okay Walt, I can be soft too" Vic soothed, easing her hold.  
Slowly Walt eased his eyes open. He was back in his house, sitting in his chair by the fire.  
Vic walked in to the room from the direction of Walt's kitchen. She was wearing one of Walt's shirts, that was oversized on her, but the sight sure stirred a possessive flare in Walt's chest. The denim shirt fell to mid thigh, exposing a pair of long toned feminine legs to Walt's gaze.  
"Beer?" She offered with a bright smile extending her arm out.  
Her borrowed shirt's sleeves where loss and as she held out the can of Rainier to Walt he could make out his name etched in to the skin of her wrist.  
"Earth to Walt" vic grinned thumping him gently in the head with the beer can.  
An overwhelming sense of contentment settled over Walt as she gently eased her self down in to his lap, she cracked the beer gulped some down and then pressed the lip of the can to his mouth.  
Walt placed his hand over hers, took a sip then set the can down, to look at her.  
Her eyes where a brilliant golden hue this close up, her smile almost blinding in its intensity, she put her arms around his shoulders, gently scratching the back of his neck.  
"hey" Vic whispered softly, wriggling slightly in Walt's lap.  
"Hey" Walt found himself smiling back.  
Vic giggled as Walt gingerly shifted in his chair, adjusting himself against her. He must have done something right because she bite down on her lower lip and ground herself against him.  
"Need ya" she murmured resting her warm forehead against Walt's own and boy if that didnt break down Walt's last bit of trepidation.  
Frantically he claimed her lips and pulled her tightly to his body.  
Vic broke free with a sexy laugh and moved to bite the bottom of Walt's left earlobe, her fingers carding through his hair, cause Walt to buck up against her.  
"Easy there boy" she soothed speaking right in to his ear, causing Walt to shiver.  
she guided his hands up to her breasts, Walt could feel the hardened peaks of her nipples through her bra.  
"I need you Walt. So bad" Vic moaned as Walt palmed her chest.  
"I know Vic, it's okay" Walt rasped against the hollow of her neck, dragging one hand leisurely down Vic's front to the edge of the lacy knickers.  
Vic's own hand had slipped down, and unzipped Walt's Jean's, taking him in hand.  
His head thumped back against the back of his chair, eyes screwed shut against the agonizing pleasure of her grip.  
"Jesus Vic" he groaned.  
"Open your eyes Walt" Vic whispered, as she worked him in her hand.  
"C-cant" he managed to breath out, edging his own fingers past the edge of her underwear, running them through her wet folds.  
"Walt, look at me" Vic implored, and Walt forced his eyes open. To stare in to the depths of her liquid gold irises.  
She was so beautiful, so glowy and warm, soft in all the right places, yet strong.  
Walt decided if he died right then an there he would die a happy man, surrounded by her sounds, and scent.

Walt was shocked out of his dream, by the bleating sound of Rezdogs horn, as Henry pulled up his drive.  
Dazed and confused Walt eased himself up in to a sitting position and took stock of the situation.  
His cock was in his hand, hard and aching, legs tangled in his bed sheet and covered in sweat.  
"Shit" he hissed, flopping back against the mattress.  
He eased his hand off of himself and flung his arm across his eyes, conjuring up every erection killer image he could think of.  
A knock sounded on Walt's door.  
"Walt, are you up?" Henry's voice asked from the other side.  
Yes Henry, I most definitely am, Walt thought to himself, determinedly picturing a butt naked Lucian, doing a jaunty jig a top of a gigantic pile of burnt dead horses.  
"Walt, it is time for our morning run" Henry prompted.  
Shit. Shit. Shit.  
"Yeah. Just give me a minute!" Walt yelled back.  
There was a pause and then came Henry's response. "I will be waiting outside then" He said wisely making his retreat.

Henry had been browbeating Walt in to an early morning jog, for the past two weeks.  
The first week almost killed him, leaving his gasping for breath, and on one memorable occasion, throwing up in to a Dutch.  
The second week was not much better.  
But week though, Walt was starting to find his flow again, and wasnt so darn winded as well, not that Walt would admit it to Henry.  
Plus asides from this morning obviously, Walt had been collapsing in to bed at night and sleeping the night through.  
He also wasbeginning to feel more energized at work aswell.  
The morning fog swirled around the pair as they cut through the air. Birds chirping, cows mooing, and crickets creaking.  
It was damn peaceful.  
Just the two of them, sneaker clad feet pounding the gravel ground. The heat of the day not yet present, morning light just enough to bare witness to the changing of the guard between the nocturnal and daytime animals.  
It made Walt appreciate the land again, for maybe the first time since Martha died.  
His head felt clearer out here too, quieter, and spending some quality time with his oldest friend wasnt to bad either, when he kept his mouth shut that is.  
"So, how are things going with Vic" Henry broached, not even sounding slightly out of breath.  
"I have no idea what your talking about" Walt bit out, quickening his pace, a feeble attempt at ending the line of conversation.  
"You are a terrible liar, Walter Longmire, it amazes me you've lasted this long as sherriff, it seems to me someone should have called your bluffs years ago" Henry chided, quickly pulling level with Walt again.  
Walt chuckled at the barb, which he immediately regretted as the start of a stitch came on.  
Walt padded to a stop, clutching his side.  
"She's married, and I'm not looking" He winced, peeling the faded blue teeshirt off of himself to wipe away the sweat across his brow.  
"Here", Henry passed him a water bottle.  
"Marriage is typically null and void in the situation of soulmates encountering each other after the fact" Henry sagely reminded Walt, racking his hair back with his fingers.  
Walt seased all action and slowly turned his head round to face to glare accusingly at his running companion.  
Walt stood up straight to his full 6ft3 height and bore down on the smaller man.  
"How long have you been bathing with my deputy" Walt asked stoney faced.  
"What?" Henry faltered taking a nervous step back.  
"Well you must be to know who's name is under that leather cuff of hers, because I sure as shit dont" Walt deadpanned pouring some of the water on top of his head.  
He shook his shaggy hair out like a dog. Spray hitting Henry across his face.  
"Haha, that was a good one" Henry smirked, wiping the water away, he folding his arms across his chest.  
"But seriously Walt, the chemistry between you two is palpable, and as an objective observer I have seen they way you look at each other when you think that the other is not looking" Henry implored.  
"Objective my ass" Walt huffed, stuffing his shirt in to the back pocket of his track shorts.  
"We care about each other Henry. When you do the job we do, the people you work with become like family, it's just how it is", he shrugged and batted an errant fly away from his neck.  
"So you are saying that the looks and attention you give Vic are also bestowed upon The Ferg, Branch Connelly, and Ruby" Henry cocked an eyebrow.  
Walt dropped his gaze, and was quiet for a moment.  
Henry trusted his experiences of dealing with Walt, and held his tounge, and waited, forcing Walt's hand.  
"I dont know Henry, it's just…so hard" he breathed out softly, "what with Martha, and……well, everything", Walt raised his arms slightly and let them smack down against his sides in a sign of defeat, "I just feel so damn guilty".  
Henry slapped the skin of Walt's freckled back and prompted him to start moving again.  
"It will get better Walt, easier" he offered his friend, reassuringly.  
Walt just nodded.  
The two where silent for a minute, settling back in to their stride.  
"Besides, do you really think Martha, would have wanted you to be miserable and alone for ever?" Henry asked, matching Walt's stride despite their hight deference.  
"No" came Walt's so reply.  
But something was cleary plaguing Walt's mind.  
"You are doing your Vic face" Henry observed out loud.  
"Huh?"  
"You get this look, a slight frown, and two little lines at the corners of your mouth when you're musing something over. More often than not, that something involves Victoria, so I have coined it your Vic face" Henry explained gesturing to Walt's face with his hand.  
"Well, I'll have to work on that" Walt's frown deepened.  
"A problem shared, is a problem halved, or so they say" Henry offered.   
Walt started at Henry for a second, judging the other mans sincerity.  
"I, ah," Walt began, paused to let out a deep sigh and started over, Facing ahead rather than at his best friend.  
"I dreamed about her this morning" he admitted, hoping the blush he could feel on his cheeks, would hidden by excertion of running.  
"Ah" Henry nodded, attempting to seem wise.  
"Cut the crap Henry" Walt grumbled, pushing his friend's arm at half strength causing the Indian man to stumble for a moment.  
"Alright, alright" Henry grinned.  
"And was this dream a good dream, or a bad one?"  
Flash images from this morning assaulted Walt'a mind momentarily.  
"It was…… complicated", Walt conceded.  
"Did it perhaps, help you see Deputy Moretti in a new light?" Henry delicately pried.  
Walt let out a sharp back of laughter.  
"Oh yeah" he nodded.  
"Then…. It was a good dream", Henry concluded after a moment. "And it explains your cranky tone this morning, I must have interrupt, something particular good" Henry chortled.  
"Shut up" Walt huffed, feeling like an awkward teenager all over again.

As Vic turned on to the start of the long gravel road that lead to Walt's place, she could see two indistinct figures bobbing in the distance.  
As she approached, the figures turned and one of them waved.  
Vic squinted against the sunlight and concluded that it was Henry who was waving, with a nearly naked Walt beside him.  
Well naked in walt terms, vacant was the cowboy hat, sheepskin jacket, Jean's and ropers.  
Replaced with a pair of trainers, socks and track shorts, with a rag, or towel or something hanging from the back pocket.  
Walt was surprisingly tanned, and his hair had fallen forward over his forehead in a very boyish way.  
Vic had never really appreciated how broad shouldered and tall Walt truely was until this moment.  
As she pulled along side she wound down the truck window.  
"Well howdy there boys" Vic greeted and then glanced down at Walt's chest, "and hello there Walt's nipples" she grinned.  
Henry erupted in to laughter.  
Walt just felt embarrassed, raising his arms to crossed over his chest, then caught himself and casually placed them on his hips instead.   
"What's up Vic?" he tipped his head to her, and moved closer to the drivers door, resting his arms on the window frame.  
Vic could feel the heat radiating from Walt, with the rising sun highlighting his features he looked younger, healthier.  
Vic's eyes followed the tendons protruding from Walt's neck, across his collar bones, hairy chest and muscles arms.  
"Vic?" Walt prompted eyebrow quirked and a pleased little smile turning up the corners of his mouth.  
"Oh um….." Vic swallowed down the excess saliva in her mouth. "We ah got a stiff" she informed.  
"So did Walt" Henry whispered just loud enough for Walt to hear.   
Walt shot a death glare over his shoulder.  
"What did Henry say?" Vic piped up confused.  
"Nothing" both men chorused.  
"Right? Well, Ferg called it in, he sounded freaked, said something about hogtie, and an animal attack" she shrugged, still looking between the two men curiously.  
"This place is turning strange" Walt sighed, mentally preparing himself for the task ahead.  
"So….. running?" Vic inquired curiously.  
"Oh yeah, I'm ah tryna get back in shape" Walt nodded, scratching his shoulder awkwardly.  
"What Walter means is that he's gotten fat, probably from drinking to much beer, and eating to much busy bee's takeout" Henry piped up pointing towards Walt's stomach.  
"Why you cheeky little redskin" Walt growled.  
Henry just laughed and backed off hands raised in surrender.  
Walt had just taken his attention off of Standing Bear, and returned to Vic, when Henry piped up again.  
"Besides, I'd rather be a cheeky little redskin than a bloated Sheriff"  
"Oh that does it" Walt declared, pushing off from the side of Vic's truck.  
Henry laughing manically, took off, with Walt hot on his tails.  
Vic grinning at their childish behaviour followed along behind them in her truck, and bore witness to Walt managing to catch up and tackle the Indian to the ground, thankfully on a patch of grass and not gravel.


	5. We all got our secrets

Chapter 5:

Walt was tired, the sheriff's department had been dead quiet for almost a week, heck he had even indulged in a couple rounds of go fish with Ferg this afternoon. All the while Vic paced restless around them.  
The lack of action was really getting to them all.  
Walt himself had never done well sitting behind a desk for too long.  
It felt wrong to wish for something to happen, but Walt felt sure of this dry spell went on much longer, somebody's temper, probably Vic's was going to spill over.  
And then the unpleasant situation in the office would become a whole lot worse.  
Walt needed to gather Intel, if the crime wasn't coming to his front door, he'd have to go looking for it.  
Walt could think of only one place to start at this time in the evening.  
"It is a beatiful day at the red pony and continual soiree" Walt chuckled to himself as the neon lights of Henry's saloon appear in the distance.  
Apparently his plight had been heard by some unseen force because as Walt pulled the bronco in to the dusty parking lot of the Red Pony, a crowd of patrons came stumbling in mass out of the side exit door.  
Robert Barnes had been thrown on his arse by a rather intimidating skinhead biker looking fellow and the crowd was clearly anticipating an encore.  
"Ruby you still in?" Walt called through the CB.  
"Go for Ruby" came her response.  
"Uh got a situation at the Red Pony, need back up"  
"Branch is on call, I'll...."  
"No. Call Vic" Walt ordered taking his coat off and rolling up his sleeves.  
"But she's not on call?"  
"Got to go Ruby" Walt disconnected, throwing the bronco door open.  
"Sheriff's department, what the hells going on here?!" Walt yelled over the sounds of the crowd, he shouldered his way through to the make shift ring.  
Bob was crouched on hands and knees bleeding from his nose.  
"None of your damn business Sherriff" the skinhead answered. He was easily half a foot taller than Walt was himself, broader and muscled like a cartoon.  
"Actually, this is exactly my business" Walt said with a smile.  
"Clear out Bob, I'll take it from here, go see Henry he'll patch you up" Walt dismissed as the drunk stumbled to his feet at Walt's side.  
"Thanks, Sherriff" Bob grinned and staggered off.  
Walt turned his attention back to the aggressor.  
"Well are we going to do this or what?" He quirked an eyebrow and dropped in to a guard stance. Walt could feel his heart beating for the first time in a week. All his hibernating senses flaring back to life.  
The crowd of inebriated patrons cheered as the Sherriff and the skinhead began to circle eachother.  
Walt knew that if he let his irate opponent get a solid shot in, then it's all over.  
But Walt has been Sherriff a long time now, and he knew a little patience and assessment could make a world of difference in most situations.  
So he reigned in his instincts to attack first.  
And he circled, and stared the skinhead down, saw his muscled tense, reacted faster than the first punch could fly.  
Walt ducked and spun and pressed his boot firmly in to the small of the larger mans back easily toppling him down.  
Still got it, Walt though with satisfaction, allowing the biker to get back to his feet.  
"Round two" Walt prompted beckoning him forward.  
With a sneer the man charged forward swinging out furiously with his fist.  
Walt easily dodged by leaning his upper body back, then swung his own fist up and heard the bikers nose go crunch.  
Walt grabbed the other mans shoulders and pulled him forward as he shoot is knee up making brutal force contact with the man's ribs, who fell wheezing to the ground, blood pouring from his nose.  
Walt toke a second to reign himself back in, wiped his knuckles off against the bikers wife beater and then addressed the crowd.  
"I suggest you all disperse, otherwise I'll book you in mass to the sherriff county jail for the night for drunken disorderly"  
They seemed to get the message, taking off in all directions, one of rge bikers posse hauled the beaten man to his feet and dragged him off in to the night.  
Walt blew out a huff of air, hands planted casually on his hips.  
He needed a drink.

"Goodevening Walter" Henry greeted, towel over his shoulder, setting a cold one down on the bench.  
"Hiya Standing Bear" Walt smirked taking the proffered drink, and skulling it down in one.  
"Same again thanks" he ordered, dropping in to a bar stool.  
"I'm suprised the place is so pack, what with the crowd outside" he commented looking around the room at the various patrons.  
"You are not sporting a black eye, or bleeding from what I can see, so I am assuming you handled the situation Sherriff?" Henry cocked an eyebrow, passing Walt another Rainer.  
"You should see the other guy" Walt grinned, taking a more reserved sip from his beer.  
"And you are not even winded, see getting back in shape has its benefits" Henry smiled back, resting his calloused hands against the bench.  
"Mmmm" Walt agreed, pushing his hat back from his forehead abit.  
"Speaking of the benefits of getting in shape, a Miss Lizzie Ambrose, was here earlier asking for you"  
"Oh?" Walt feigned indifference.  
"Yes", Henry agreed, "is there anything I should be aware of?" Henry tilted his head, staring Walt down.  
Awkwardly Walt , swallowed his mouthful and set his drink down.  
"Ah, Vic thinks she's trying to get in my pants" the last part was said with Walt making quotation marks with his fingers.  
"Uh huh" Henry replied unsurprised, "and what is your outlook on that?".  
Walt stalled for a moment, tilting the can of Rainer on its axles in circles a couple of times.  
"I thought things, where finally heating up between you and Vic"  
"Vic is married, and as you are aware my Libido has made a resurgence in the last few days so, I dont know, maybe" Walt shrugged defensively.  
The two men looked at each other in silence for a moment.  
"When I said, that you needed to get back on the horse, Miss Ambrose was not exactly who I had in mind" Henry sighed.  
Walt finished his beer, and slammed the empty can down"May I remind you that it is really none of your damn business, and can I get another beer and some peace and quiet please" Walt snapped, shoulders tensing.  
Henry threw up his hands in surrender, shaking his head dissapointedly, he slid another Rainer across the counter, and then walked off to assist other customers.

 

Vic was pissed off and sexually frustrated to the max.  
Stupid Durant, and its equally stupid Sherriff.  
It was Branch's night on call not hers.  
She should be at home right now, working up a sweat with her husband, experiencing a much needed orgasm or two, in the comfort and privacy of her own home.  
Instead she was geared up, driving out to the Red Pony, on a vague callout from her stupid boss, who seemed content to never be off the clock.  
Throwing her truck in to park she jumped out.  
"This had better be fucking worth it" she said to no one in particular, gripping her utility belt and making her way in side ready for a fight.  
She slammed the saloon doors open, and surveyed the room.  
Not seeing anything out of place, her eyes sort out Henry's, who nudged his head in the direction of the patreon at the end of the bar.  
Walter Fucking Longmire.  
Sitting there with his stupid hat, drinking his stupid beloved Rainer cans.  
"That motherfucker" she growled under her breath storming over.  
Even as inebriated as he appeared, the Sherriff still seemed to have his wits about him, she saw his head twitch at the sound of her approaching footsteps, and he with a lot less grace than usual spun around in his chair.  
"Hey Vic" this was said louder than was required and the hand supporting his weight against the side of the bar stall, slipped and he slumped in to his chair slightly.   
The expression on Vic's face must have tipped him off that he was in trouble because he nervously shifted and pointed around the room." Everything here is under control."  
" Uh, but now you're here, I could use a ride home."

Walt was definitely in the doghouse, he knew Vic well enough to know that just from her expression, let alone the annoyance rolling off her in waves.  
" I hope I didn't interrupt anything important." He offered by way of apology, following behind Vic, feeling entirely to much like a naughty school boy.  
"Not much." Vic huffed.  
" Just some particularly breathtaking sex." She informed with a glare.  
"Oh", oh. Well that explained abit. Like the fact that Vic was flush in the face, and her hair was a little less tidy than usual.  
Did she shower before coming out on the callout? Had she been able to at least release some built up tension before Walt had interrupted. Some depraved part of his mind was urging him to offer his services. But Walt really didnt fancy getting slapped by his irate Deputy and was actually alittle bit disgusted with himself.  
Shes married he shut down the voice in his head.  
"I didn't know your husband was back in town." He said just for something to say, " Anyway, I thought you two were fighting?"  
Vic rolled her eyes at him, "We are, which is why the sex was so magnificent." She clarified as if Walt should have already understood that.  
Battling with unwanted images of Sean, plowing his deputy, walt shook his head violently, "Well Then, uh, I'll have to apologize to your husband." The words were out of his mouth before he could protested them.  
Vic did a double take and gave him a smirk, damn I just flirted with her, Walt realized, slow on the uptake.  
Before anything could go further, A call from Ruby interrupted.  
The call put them both firmly back on the solid ground of Sherriff and Deputy. They had a callout to investigate.

By the time Vic returned Walt back to his truck, still parked up at the Red Pony, Walt was stone called sober, and exausted.  
"Sorry about messing up your night" Walt said, not feeling particularly sorry at all.  
"It's fine, ended up being a pretty exciting night" Vic shrugged putting the Dodge in neutral.  
"Yep" Walt agreed, "go get some rest, you've got your first Rodeo in the morning".  
"Yay" Vic grinned with false enthusiasm, pulling a laugh from Walt in response.  
Walt decided he better makes his retreat back to his own vehicle, before things turned dangerous again.  
"Well, night Vic, and uh thanks for…. well ya know" he grumbled shyly.  
"Yeah, yeah" Vic waved off, with a small smile.  
Lean over an kiss her, his inner voice ordered. A tense second passed between them.  
Yep it was definitely time for him to get out of Vic's pickup.  
He walked over to his truck and chuckled at the blush on his own cheeks, when he saw his own reflection in the bronco's side mirror.  
"Down boy" he whispered softly to himself, as he hauled his body in to the drivers seat.  
"Ugghh", a shadow blocked the light in Walt's rear view mirror.  
"AH! GET OUT OF MY TRUCK, GET THE HELL OUT! Or I swear, I'm gonna shoot you!" Walt yelled, throwing himself out, he raced around to the back of the truck threw the tail gate open and heaved who ever the fuck was in Walt's truck out.  
"HEY!" Vic shouted running over.  
Walt was trying valiantly to wrestle his ambusher to the ground.  
"Hey hold on there, just Stop, it's me Walt, it's Bob".  
"Walt!"   
Bloody Robert Barnes, Walt shoved him away and backed away.  
"Jesus Bob, I coulda shot you!" Walt snarled, heart beating furiously in his chest.  
"Henry has my keys, I was just tryna hitch a ride but no one would help" Bob threw his hands up, swaying on his feet, clown makeup smeared across his face, along with the blood from his nose bleed earlier in the night.  
"That's werid, no one wanted to drive home a drunk clown?" Vic said sarcastically.  
"Well anyways, I just climbed in there to rest my eyes for a bit"   
"You know he puts dead bodies back there" Vic pointed out looking disgusted.  
Bob, seemed to suddenly become aware of how pretty Vic was because he rounded on her, and closed in.  
" Ooh. You're like a sunrise. Come over here."  
Walt trusted Vic to handle this situation just fine with out him, besides he was busy recovering from his mini heart attack.  
" Bob. Bob." Vic warned.  
" Come here, good-lookin'.One little kissy right here. Just one" Bob was not deterred.  
"if you kiss me, I will shoot you."   
Maybe she does need me after all Walt decided, "Come on, boy. Come on." He pulled Bob away with a amused smirk.  
"Walt!" Vic huffed outraged.  
"Well, I'm glad you're all having a blast."  
None of them had heard Sean's Truck pull up.  
"Victoria, what the hell? You said you'd be home in two hours eight hours ago." Sean complained, looking around at everyone exasperatedly.  
" I was just heading home." Vic tried unsuccessfully to placate him, Sean was unimpressed.  
"Sheriff, you mind if I take my wife to breakfast?" Oh there was that glower, being directed at him again. Walt though for a second about causing a ruckus, but he was to damn tired and hung over to go through with it.  
" She's all yours." He conceded, plopping down on to the tailgate of the bronco.  
Apparently this wasn't good enough for Sean, the younger man had to get another dig in, "You sure you don't want to come with us, sheriff? I'd hate for you not to be near her for a few hours."  
" Hey, hey, hey, hey." Vic intervened.  
Sean really was a pathetic, weak little man, Walt thought bitterly to himself and fought of the urge to tell him to go fuck himself. Becuase apparently spending time around Vic was seriously starting to effect his vocabulary choices.  
"Go ahead, have breakfast." He sighed, "On me." He added, which really was the bigger man thing to do right?  
"Okay." Sean, sent one more heated glare in Walt's direction, before turning to Vic, " Let's go."  
The truck dipped significantly, as Bob planted himself besides Walt.   
"I had no idea she had a husband."  
"We all got our little secrets, Bob."


End file.
